Arlington Education Foundation: The role of simulation in science and engineering education

By Byron DeLaBarre

Saturday

Jun 13, 2015 at 3:55 AM

Bring to your mind any of the iconic successes of the US space program: walking the surface of the moon, the repair of the Hubble Space Telescope, and even the safe return of the Apollo 13 crew with their damaged ship.

These amazing achievements all have one key component in common: they were all simulated many times before they were actually performed. Simulation can take many forms from a simple computer program all the way to a mock-up of the actual mission in a ground based ship. These efforts consume resources but the costs pale in comparison with the actual procedure.

Failure in a simulation is a learning opportunity - failure during actual events can result in the loss of human life. This doesn’t just apply to space exploration - it applies to many fields of human endeavor such as medicine, engineering and science, to name a few. Simulation is how we as humans learn because it is both a safe and efficient path to success.

It was with this thought in mind that I spoke with Larry Weathers, the science curriculum director for Arlington Schools. I met with him to hear of his plans for the role of simulation in science education. Mr. Weathers told me that he is striving for a balance between virtual and real-world learning. Towards this, he has engaged the Concord Consortium to run a National Science Foundation pilot project at the Arlington High School, one of several local school districts where the Concord Consortium is studying how students learn from simulation based systems.

The school systems benefit from access to prototype ‘blended reality’ systems comprised of laptop computers, Vernier probes and custom-designed software to simulate experiments that range from basic science to semiconductors to drug design. Arlington teachers benefit in understanding how to implement the learning concepts that these tools bring. The students benefit from a different and more effective way of learning.

The Arlington School department has partnered with the Arlington Education Foundation (AEF) to raise funds necessary to bring these types of simulations into the curriculum on a more widespread and permanent basis. The AEF Technology Initiative is currently raising money for the mobile scientific workstations and Vernier probes for the high school science department that will make Mr. Weather’s vision a reality.

The computers required for these simulations are just a small step above the iPads/Chromebooks that have found their way into the other areas of our schools. On this note, I was surprised when Mr. Weathers told me that the arts and humanities classes currently have more individual digital devices at their disposal than our science classes. While it is great that digital education has a wide reach, we cannot afford to leave our core STEM components behind.

After speaking with Mr. Weathers I watched a group of high school students get a hands-on lesson with the ideal gas law. The students were able to manipulate syringes which injected virtual atoms into a simulation, and could use a lever to change the shape of the virtual container where the atoms were being stored. Additionally, a temperature probe allowed them to change the temperature of the container with ice water or the warmth of their touch. The students received immediate visual and auditory feedback as the behavior of the atoms in the virtual system changed in real time with their external manipulations.

They could even use the touch interface to focus on a particular atom and watch it bounce its way around the chamber. Pressure, volume, temperature and atom count were available as readouts on the screen. A paper workbook, no different from any other student lab book I used in my education, guided them through a series of experiments. The 25 or so students in this lab were being supported by just two teachers: Jie Chao from the Concord Consortium and her host Arlington teacher Alicia Majid. The two educators could focus on teaching because all of this was done without the worries of a dangerous situation, equipment failure or a shortage of lab reagents.

Other studies ongoing in the Arlington High School include a physical/ebook combination in physics that enables immediate simulations of the concepts being studied and a virtual building model that helps students understand concepts of conservation and functional housing. But don’t just take my word for this - listen to what Arlington students have to say: http://news.acmi.tv/segments/concord-consortium/

Mr. Weather’s big vision is to make blended reality a mainstay in the education of Arlington students. The plan extends beyond what the Concord Consortium is doing, and will draw on the many educational tools that have been developed for computer simulation. The simulation will include molecular modeling, neuron mapping, astronomy, wind tunnels, and yes - rocket science. The purchase of mobile workstations, Vernier probes and software is where the funds that you provide to the AEF Technology Initiative will be applied. All money raised by June 30 will fund technology in classrooms in September.

Think of it as an investment not only in their future but in your own - the educational tools we provide for current students will affect how they go on to shape the future world that we will inhabit. Our generation has made tremendous strides in science and exploration - let’s make sure that our kids get to reach for the stars as well.

For more information on the AEF Technology Initiative or to donate, visit aeftechnologyinitiative.org.

Byron DeLaBarre, PhD. is the founder of "The Consulting Biochemist LLC". He can be reached at byron.delabarre@consultingbiochemist.com

Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted.
The Arlington Advocate ~ 9 Meriam St., Lexington, Massachusetts 02420 ~ Privacy Policy ~ Terms Of Service